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Indian

Kala chana salad

Vegetarian

काला चना सलाद · kālā canā salād

Nutty boiled black chickpeas tossed with onion, tomato, cucumber, green chilli, lemon, roasted cumin and chaat masala — a hearty, protein-rich Indian salad.

Kala chana salad is an Indian salad, ready in about 1 hour and made with kala chana (black chickpeas, dried) and lemon juice. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Kala chana salad: boiled black chickpeas with onion and tomato on a green plate
Photo: SamunderSinghBohriya / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Rest
15 min
Total
1 h
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
165

Plus 8 hours or overnight soaking.

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Soak the kala chana (opens in a new tab) overnight in plenty of water. Drain, then pressure-cook with fresh water and half the salt for 5–6 whistles (or simmer 60–75 minutes) until tender but holding their shape.

  2. Step 2

    Drain and spread out to cool to room temperature.

    • 15 min

  3. Step 3

    Toss the chickpeas with the onion, tomato (opens in a new tab), cucumber (opens in a new tab), green chilli (opens in a new tab), ginger and coriander.

    • 8 min

  4. Step 4

    Add the lemon juice (opens in a new tab), roasted cumin (opens in a new tab), chaat masala (opens in a new tab) and remaining salt, toss well and taste for balance.

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
India · Commonly attributedA household and street salad found across India; no single place of origin.Also popular in PakistanMore food from India
Dish
Breakfast · Snack · Lunch · Salads
Cooking method
Pressure-cooked, Boiled, No-cook
Taste
earthy, tangy, fresh, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-fibre
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-fibre · Low-fat · Carb-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Meal-prep friendly · Budget-friendly · Portable / lunchbox
Cook more with
Kala chana (black chickpeas, dried) · Lemon juice · Red onion · Tomato · Cucumber · Green chilli
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Pressure cooking

Allergens

  • May contain: Wheatfrom chaat masala
  • May contain: Glutenfrom chaat masala

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

165 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 175 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 20%
  • Carbohydrate 67%
  • Fat 13%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy165 kcal94 kcal
Protein8.5 g4.9 g
Carbohydrate28.8 g16.5 g
Net carbohydrate23.1 g13.2 g
Sugars6.9 g3.9 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre5.7 g3.3 g
Fat2.5 g1.5 g
Saturated fat——
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium597 mg341 mg
Salt equivalent1.5 g0.9 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
435 mg
Calcium
41 mg
Iron
2.2 mg
Magnesium
42 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
19 µg
Vitamin C
14 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
—
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: fresh ginger.
  • Kala chana (black chickpeas, dried): Mature raw chickpeas / bengal gram (FDC 173756) used as a stand-in for small dark desi chickpeas.
  • Chaat masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in for the tangy blend of amchur, black salt, cumin and pepper; real chaat masala also carries a lot of salt, so sodium is understated.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Save the cooking water — it makes a good base for soup or rasam.

Common mistakes

  • Under-cooking kala chana; it should be creamy inside, not chalky.

Serve with

  • A filling breakfast or tiffin; top with sev or crushed papdi for a chaat.

Storage

  • Cooked chana keeps 3 days refrigerated; dress the salad on the day.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

  • Dry spice blend

    Chaat masala

    This recipe uses 1 tsp (2.5 g for 4 servings).

    Make Chaat masala

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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